Revolution
by Penguin Pop
Summary: The people of Kimlasca have grown discontent, culminating in an attack on the castle and the fall of the monarchy. Natalia is forced into hiding and must live as a servant in order to survive, however an old friend helps her to find solace through her tribulations.
1. Chapter 1

Revolution

Chapter 1

* * *

Natalia woke with an unsettling feeling down in her core that something was wrong. Her eyes fluttered open hazily, her body protesting (it had been running on low sleep and high cortisol for the past few months), but quickly jolted awake after realizing she couldn't breathe.

A thick, black smoke filled the air, illuminated by orange flames that licked her door. Fire.

Alarms went off in her head. She rolled out of bed and dropped to the floor, coughing violently as she struggled to breathe. Crawling to the window, she could hear voices above the wicked crackling sound of her home burning down. "Down with the monarchy," shouted angry voices from the mob below, and it dawned on her just what was happening.

Three years had passed since the abolition of the Score. Those three years had been filled with chaos and a growing discontent among the people of Kimlasca. There were always those that opposed change, and many changes had been made indeed.

Many believed that Kimlasca had been robbed of its promised prosperity, and were furious that the country had become allies with Malkuth. Others were outraged that a large portion of their resources – diminished already by global changes and the depletion of fonons - was going towards aiding replicas. And as much as she had not wanted to believe it, many citizens simply thought that her father was a poor leader, indecisive and easily swayed, with no real conviction.

Still, she thought to herself with shaking hands, she couldn't believe it had culminated in _this_.

Her hands fumbled with the latch of the window, desperately trying to get it open. The ceiling had started to cave in, showering the floor with sparks and debris. It was a long way down, and she would most certainly be injured by the fall, but if she stayed here she would most certainly die.

She gasped as she finally drew the window open, air stinging as it reached her lungs. Taking one last look back at her room – now roaring with flames – she said goodbye to her home and jumped.

* * *

"You're heavier than you look, you know that?" Luke said quietly, though there was no humour in his voice.

The redhead looked down at the princess he'd caught in his arms – with no small effort – and was relieved to see she was, for the most part, physically unharmed.

"Luke?" she asked weakly, and he nodded from under his cloak.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said quietly. "Come on. We have to hide; we can't stay here." He took her hand and led her quickly to a spot behind a towering hedge.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at the burning castle. The massive structure was engulfed in flames. "No!" she protested. "We have to—"

He shook his head vehemently, tightening his grip. "Natalia. We can't go back in there."

"But Father—"

He tore his gaze away and grit his teeth. "Natalia, he's… dead."

Her face blanched and he wished there had been more time for tact, but there wasn't. Not now. He gripped her shoulders. "Listen to me. You have to get out of here, or they'll kill you too!"

The voices of the mob were getting louder; there was no way the two of them could fight them off. He was already taking off his cloak.

She looked confused as he wrapped it around her shoulders. "I can't go with you," he explained, his voice pained at the expression painting her face. "I'm so sorry, Natalia. We need to split up, or there's no way we won't be found out."

"But—"

"Please," he whispered, hugging her tightly. "You have to leave Baticul. Nobody can know you're alive, not until the situation dies down. I need to go now - I have to help Mother get out of the city safely – but I promise you, we'll find our way back to each other."

"How can you be so sure?" she asked in a small, strained voice so unlike her own.

"Because we're family," he said simply, drawing her hood up. He gave her trembling hands a reassuring squeeze. "Promise me you'll be safe."

"…Okay," she whispered numbly, then watched him run for a moment before slipping into the shadows.

* * *

Natalia didn't fully process what happened next. Somehow, she must have made her way to the port and stowed away on a ship: the floor seemed to rock beneath her and she was curled up in between some crates. And she must not have hidden as well as she'd thought, for there was a woman in front of her, her lips moving, then waving her hand in front of her face.

"—re you okay?" she managed to make out as the woman's mouth moved again. "Goodness, you're pale. You don't look well at all."

The princess tried to open her mouth, but even that was a chore. Everything was blurry. Everything hurt.

The woman held a cup of water to her lips. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you're here. I can certainly understand, considering what happened three days ago."

"Three… days…?" Natalia asked shakily.

"The attack on the castle, the night we left port." She paused. "You are from the castle, aren't you?"

_Nobody can know you're alive, not until the situation dies down. _Her eyes widened. "N-no," she said, shaking her head, spilling water down the front of her cloak.

"Hmm, my apologies. I just assumed you were one of the castle servants – there are so many leaving Baticul, now that they're out of work." _Oh._ Natalia let out the breath she'd been holding. "If not the castle, then where are you from?"

"I… I was a caretaker at Duke Fabre's manor," she stuttered.

"Ah, poor thing," the woman sighed. "I hear the Duke's boy was something wretched."

"No!" she protested without thinking. "I-I mean…"

"It's okay to speak freely, you know," the woman said, misinterpreting her outburst. "There's nothing to be afraid of. The royal family members are all dead now… and if they're not, they will be soon. I hear the revolutionaries have eyes the world over."

The woman looked at her concernedly as she froze up again, shaking. She forced herself to speak. "O-of course there's nothing to fear," Natalia choked out. "I'm sorry. I'm just… not feeling very well."

She shook her head sympathetically. "No, I can't imagine you are. Do you have somewhere to stay when we reach Grand Chokmah?"

_Grand Chokmah? The Emperor… Guy… the Colonel…_ A brief glimmer of hope sparked in the back of her mind before the heavy realization sunk in that she would most certainly be found out if she went to any of them. They were all in far too high positions, surrounded by too many people, for her presence to go unnoticed. "No," she whispered, voice raw. "I don't."

The woman then started talking about something to do with a contact, and would she like to be introduced? Maybe he could find her a job. She vaguely remembered nodding, and then the next however many days were nothing but a blur.

Everything hurt and she felt so small. She had failed her people, she realized with a sick thought, and now her country was in anarchy and her father was dead because of it. She was nobody, her people wanted her dead, and she was utterly alone.

* * *

Natalia was hungry. Starving, really – she hadn't eaten properly in what must have been weeks on that ship from Baticul to Grand Chokmah. She'd missed meals before, sure, but she'd never felt this awful, clawing hunger at the bottom of her stomach. Even during her travels, she realized with a pang, the others had always made sure she'd had enough to eat.

She was exhausted and weak, legs barely keeping her steady as she followed the coattails of the man in front of her to her new life as a – maid, was it? – for some rich man who'd recently fallen ill.

"_Yes, I could make use of a girl like her," _the man had said after the woman from the boat had introduced them, looking her up and down and surveying her face. "_My Lord has fallen ill and I've been looking for an extra hand around the house. She's a little on the thin side, but a pretty face like hers might be just what he needs to help him recover. He's a real…" _what was the word he'd used? "…_Lady killer."_

She shuddered, wondering just what she was getting into. It could be dangerous, and the thought of having to serve some lecherous old man on his deathbed sent chills down her spine, but she didn't much have a choice.

There was nowhere else for her to go, and this job would at least provide her with food and shelter. She was lucky to even have this opportunity. It wasn't as if she could easily find a job elsewhere: she didn't know how to clean, do laundry, or sew, and she definitely did not know how to cook. Yes, she had led a sheltered life, though she supposed it had never really been hers to begin with.

She'd been stripped of her titles before, both as Princess and Daughter, but that had been due to Mohs' manipulation. This time, it had been her subjects. She'd also lost a father before, but never the one she'd loved. As much as she wanted to blame the dissolution of the Score or not enough resources or deep-rooted prejudices, she knew that this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't failed her people.

Perhaps the biggest difference, though, was that back then she'd never had to go through anything alone. She'd had Guy and Asch and Luke and Anise and Tear and Jade to support her, each in their own way. What she wouldn't give for Guy's kind words and warm smile right now. Or even Jade; he could slap some sense into her. At least that might take away from the overwhelming pain in her chest that threatened to swallow her whole.

Natalia barely noticed that they had reached the estate.

"Look alive, my dear," her escort said warningly.

She swallowed, then summoned all her strength and put on the closest thing to a smile that she could muster. After all, she'd have to survive if she were to see them again. She realized now what Asch meant when he'd said the only thing keeping him going was a promise.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Guy had learned of the Princess' death and Luke's disappearance, two weeks since he'd eaten or slept properly.

The letters had accumulated on his dresser: two from Tear, and three from Anise. He'd skimmed them over to see if there was any news about Luke, but hadn't been able to bring himself to write back despite knowing that they were worried about him. Even Jade had been by to check on him. The first time, of course, he'd come by to inform him that Peony's rappigs were getting restless. The second time had been quite a bit more unpleasant.

"_Guy, it's been a week and you haven't moved since I last saw you," the man said disdainfully. "Natalia might be dead, but Luke in all likelihood is not. I would have thought you'd at least be out searching for him."_

"_He could be anywhere on Auldrant. You know as well as I do that searching blindly would accomplish nothing," he replied bitterly. _

"_Perhaps. But at the very least, it would show you cared about _something. _Natalia cared about her people, and you claim to have cared about her, but you continue to stand by and do nothing while her country falls to ruin."_

"_And just what do you want me to do, Jade?" he snapped. "If you've formulated a plan, I'm all ears, but I know you haven't yet. So until you do, just leave me the hell alone."_

He hadn't heard from the Colonel after that.

He stood by the window, the same place he'd stood for the past two weeks when he wasn't in bed. Luke was out there somewhere; of that, he was sure. He was declared missing, not dead. But Natalia… his heart wrenched at the thought. He should have been there to protect her.

He couldn't stop thinking about it, about her. She had been his oldest friend, and someone he had come to admire and respect above all others. The two had grown particularly close in the years Luke had been gone, and now the thought of life without her was unbearable.

He wished Jade hadn't been the messenger to break the news to him; now all he could hear was that awful voice and those horrible words said in the least tactful way. It wasn't Jade's fault, he knew, but anger – anything - was better than the guilt that had been eating away at him and the overwhelming grief that flooded his thoughts.

He continued to stare emptily out the window until he was interrupted by a knock at his door. He didn't turn around or answer but he did his best to compose himself, knowing whoever it was would come in anyway – probably one of the staff again, trying to get him to eat. Even Pere hadn't been successful.

"Forgive me, My Lord," came the voice of his butler as he entered the room. "I know you are… preoccupied… but I'd like to introduce to you the new help, Miss…"

"Meryl," a voice spoke quietly from down on her knees. He spun around, certain his mind was playing tricks on him – he hadn't slept in weeks, after all – but his heart began to beat again as he met her eyes. "Meryl Oakland."

Her eyes were pleading with him to play along. His eyes were wide and all he could do was stare at her.

"Yes, she's quite a sight, isn't she?" his butler said, noticing his reaction.

He nodded, shaken out of his reverie. "The most beautiful in all of Auldrant." A ghost of a smile traced her all-too-pale features.

"I was thinking that she could start down in the kitchen—"

"No!" he said, alarmed, a little too quickly. He coughed. "Actually… I've been behind in some work, and a personal assistant might be just what I need. In fact, I have a letter that I'd like to compose right now, if that's alright…?"

"Of course, My Lord," he said with a bow and exited the room, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as the door closed, he rushed to her side.

"Natalia," he whispered and he held her close, phobia be damned, as she fell apart in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Revolution

Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you very much for your kind reviews and encouragement!

* * *

_Dear Anise,_

_I'm sorry for not replying to your last three letters. I'm okay. Really. Please don't send the Colonel to come check on me ever again._

_You don't have to be worried - I've just been introduced to my new personal assistant, Meryl. Thanks to her, I've been feeling much better._

_Will I be seeing you soon?_

_Guy_

* * *

_Dearest Guy, _

_Thank you for writing back to me. I'm so happy to hear about your new assistant! I hope she's adjusting all right. Don't work her too hard, okay? _

_Things in Daath have been busy with everything that's been going on. If I get a chance to escape, though, I'm stopping by your place, like it or not!_

_Love,_

_Anise_

* * *

_Guy,_

_Did you not get my other letters? I miss Natalia too, but the Colonel says you haven't been doing too well, and if he's concerned that's saying something. I have some news, though, that might cheer you up._

_I found a puppy in my garden the other day. He used to whine horribly, but he's gotten much better. He's not very bright – a bit of an idiot, really – but I've been much… happier with him around. You should come visit._

_Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants, First Platoon, Oracle Knights Intelligence Division_

* * *

_Dear Tear,_

_I'm really glad to hear about your new puppy. I hope he doesn't cause too much trouble for you. I'd love to see him when I have a chance._

_Sorry I haven't responded earlier. I've been busy showing Meryl, the newest member of the household staff, around. She's not much of a cook, but she's been a lot of help anyway - she's a real lifesaver._

_Guy_

* * *

"A puppy?" Luke asked incredulously, hovering over Tear's shoulder. He frowned.

"Well, we can't use your real name," the brunette replied rationally, folding up the letter.

He sighed. "…Why do I get the sense you'd prefer the puppy?"

She gave him a small smile. "You're a close second."

* * *

In spite of everything that had happened, Natalia considered herself extremely fortunate. The stars had aligned to bring her here, of all places. Here, at last, she felt some semblance of safety.

She'd been fed, given a chance to bathe, and provided with clean clothes (including a uniform that would have made Tear more than a little jealous). She had been given her own room, and a nice one at that. Guy certainly treated his servants well.

Having a place to stay, of course, was nothing compared to the security she felt from Guy's presence. She was no longer alone - she had the support of her dear friend who was, she was quite sure, the kindest person in all of Auldrant.

She also now had the reassurance that Luke was safe.

As much as she had to be thankful for, however, sleep still eluded her as she lay in her bed. Now that her fear had subsided and her basic needs had been met, she found herself mourning the loss of her father properly for the first time.

She hugged her pillow tightly and allowed herself to cry, sobs wracking her slender frame. She wasn't sure how long she wept for.

At some point in the night, Guy must have heard her crying, for when she looked up, she found him sitting with her. He stayed with her until she was able to fall asleep.

She didn't know what she had ever done to deserve such kindness, but she was certain that she would have been lost without it.

* * *

As much as Jade tried not to let anything faze him, the past few weeks had been both frustrating and tiring. He hated to admit it, but Guy had been right: they still didn't have a solid plan. He didn't have a problem with waiting – he was never one to rush headfirst into things without thinking – but he couldn't stand the indecision.

While things were largely chaotic in Kimlasca, from what they had gathered there had been no further acts of violence following the attack on the Royal Family. This gave them a bit of time, but from the way things were going it seemed nothing would ever get done.

While they had participated in many wars, this situation was quite unlike any of their previous experiences. Battles in the past had been to defeat an enemy nation or to take land, never to restore order to another country. Their enemies before had always been soldiers, clearly marked with a somewhat predictable repertoire of tactics. The revolutionaries, however, were less predictable, and would be much more difficult to target. They were civilians, likely undistinguishable from other citizens.

The Malkuth military had held off on making any decisions until Tritheim arrived from Daath and Teodoro arrived from Yulia City: they would have to work in concert if they were to get anything done properly. Now that they were assembled, however, they couldn't seem to come to a consensus. Every proposed suggestion was countered with even more drawbacks.

The anti-Malkuth sentiment that had been stirring among the Kimlascan people posed a significant problem. Sending Malkuth troops into Kimlasca could cause further chaos, and if they weren't careful, they could trigger a war. The sorts of ideals the revolutionaries seemed to hold were troubling and risked destroying the peace treaty they had worked so hard to protect.

Sending in Oracle Knights would also be risky. They represented a Church that taught people how to live without the Score – a notion rejected by many. The shift away from the Score was one of the very things that had led to unrest in Kimlasca in the first place.

Doing nothing, however, meant leaving citizens unprotected. The replicas and the nobles, in particular, would be in danger, and the Kimlascan army was undoubtedly in disarray. Without the King and without Duke Fabre, the head of the Kimlascan army, controlling the situation would be enormously difficult, if not impossible.

Without law enforcement or order of any sort, Kimlasca could bring itself to ruin. With the monarchy dead, a struggle for power would almost certainly ensue, and there was no knowing how that would end or who might be caught in between. When someone finally took the throne, they would have no experience or knowledge of how to run a country.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. He hated inaction, but the best course of action Jade could think of was to gather more information about the situation and hope that something would come of it.

* * *

Guy couldn't help but smile as he walked down to the hall to find his newest staff member carefully dusting the furniture in what, he was pretty sure, was the most ineffectual way possible.

He was happy to note that she looked much better this morning than the night before. Her hair was pinned back, and as strange as it was to see her in a uniform, he had to admit it looked good on her. Apart from her obvious inexperience with dusting, she blended in perfectly.

Natalia noticed him watching her and, with a practiced grace, turned swiftly to face him and bowed. "Good morning, My Lord," she said politely.

Even beyond her actions and her words, the entire way she carried herself was different. She was the epitome of docility, and it made him uncomfortable.

She had to mirror the other servants so as not to draw attention to herself, he knew, and he found himself wishing now more than ever that they would take his request to treat him more casually as more than just a social nicety. He was aware, of course, that it was unlikely to happen; social boundaries were hard to break down.

"Meryl," he addressed her as naturally as he could. "I'll be spending some time in the workshop. Can you bring me my breakfast there?"

"Of course, My Lord," she nodded, bowing before heading to the kitchen.

He watched with an amused smile as she came to a stop, realizing she was going the wrong way, and turned around. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, warning him not to laugh at her, but her expression was otherwise placid. He had to hand it to her – she was good at putting up a front (he supposed it was necessary, being raised a princess) – but he was relieved to see that her usual disposition had not disappeared entirely.

* * *

Natalia watched as Guy's chef and her assistant bustled around the kitchen. It took them a few moments to notice her. "Good morning," she said, a bit unsure of how to introduce herself. She'd never really had to before. "My name is Meryl. I am to bring breakfast to Count Gardios in his workshop," she explained.

"Ah, the new girl," the chef nodded. "Count Gardios' personal assistant, was it?"

"Yes. Although I will be helping out with some of the household chores as well."

"Excellent," the chef said. "We could use an extra hand around here."

Panic momentarily flashed across Natalia's face. "Ah, I'm… not very good at cooking," she confessed.

"Oh, don't worry. Anyone can learn to cook with enough practice!"

"Although, Count Gardios says otherwise," her assistant chimed in, laughing. "He told us about a friend of his whose cooking, no matter how many times she tried, turned out positively horrendous every single time."

A smile spread across the chef's broad face as well. "'More toxic than the miasma,' I think he said."

She arched an eyebrow. "Is that so…" she said, smiling as sweetly as she could.

"Not to worry though. I'm sure you'll pick it up in no time," the chef said, flipping a perfect crepe onto a china plate. "Meryl, would you be a dear and pass me the lemon sauce over there on the counter?"

"But I thought he hated lemon." The words were out of her mouth before she realized it. Both sets of eyes stared at her quizzically. "…It came up last night, when I asked Count Gardios about his likes and dislikes," she explained. "After all, I should know those things if I am to be his personal assistant."

Luckily, Natalia wasn't easily flustered. She could stay composed when speaking with others, masking whatever she was feeling underneath when she had to. She'd had plenty of practice having to hide her irritation or outright anger with several members of the council back in Baticul.

"He hates it?" the assistant spoke at last. "He should have said something!"

Natalia gave a little smile. That was just like Guy, too polite to complain. "He also dislikes tofu. His favourite is fish," she said helpfully. "Any kind."

"Goodness, what an attentive personal assistant!" the chef marvelled, substituting powdered sugar instead for the lemon sauce. She placed the dish on the tray and handed it to Natalia. "Count Gardios is lucky to have you."

Natalia smiled and shook her head. "Without him, I wouldn't have a job." _Among other things._ "I assure you, it is most certainly the other way around."

* * *

"Your breakfast, My Lord."

Guy shook his head as she placed the tray in front of him. "Hey, cut that out. We're alone." He watched as her eyes flitted around the workshop. It was cluttered with all sorts of intricate fon machines and half-finished projects. "Sorry about the mess."

"Would you like me to tidy it for you?"

He sighed and patted the bench beside him, motioning for her to sit. She obeyed. "You know you're not _actually_ my servant. I don't like having to pretend that you are."

"But you will."

He nodded. He couldn't treat her as anything else, lest others begin to get suspicious. Although he liked his staff, he knew firsthand that it would be a mistake to place too much trust in them. He wouldn't trust them with his life, and so he certainly could not trust them with hers.

"You really are opposed to the notion?" she asked after a few moments. Her eyes were cast downward. "After all those years of ordering you around and treating you the way I did, it would be only natural to want recompense."

"Well, I can't say I never fantasized about it when I was younger." He paused. "That came out wrong. Back at Duke Fabre's manor, I would sometimes think about what I would have had if I were still a noble. What it would be like if you and Luke were the ones waiting on me instead."

"You would have deserved it. I was pretty awful towards you," she admitted.

"Nah, it wasn't that bad. In any case, it wasn't something I actually would have wanted." He laughed. "Luke would have made a _terrible_ servant."

She seemed stuck on the first part of his response. "But I treated you so poorly. I was rather judgemental, and I was very… demanding."

He shook his head. "Don't beat yourself up over it. First of all, it wasn't your fault – you were raised as a princess. How else are you supposed to treat servants when you're told that you shouldn't even be socializing with them in the first place?"

She opened her mouth as if to apologize, but he continued.

"Second, you're not like that anymore, and it's who you are now that matters. And third… it really wasn't all that bad." He looked at her intently, earnestly, before continuing. "The way you were back then, it kind of reminded me of Mary. She had been like that too… so I could never begrudge you for it."

"Guy…" she said softly.

"But hey, I definitely like what we have now better," he said and gave her a smile. Her eyes seemed to brighten as she returned it, and that was better than anything he could have asked for.


End file.
